CVS has settled a lawsuit alleging that it \u201cillegally filled\u201d prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances and was reimbursed for \u201cmany\u201d of them by federal healthcare programs, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced yesterday.<\/p>\n
The US pharmacy chain has agreed to pay $315m to resolve the allegations, with the DOJ noting that there has been \u201cno determination of liability\u201d following the settlement.<\/p>\n
The DOJ\u2019s complaint was filed in December 2024 and alleged that CVS \u201cknowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid and\/or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice\u201d.<\/p>\n
Read more: CVS slapped with nationwide lawsuit over \u2018unlawful\u2019 opioid prescriptions<\/a><\/p>\n C+D reported at the time<\/a> that the DOJ said CVS\u2019s actions \u201chelped to fuel the opioid crisis\u201d and the company had \u201cprioritised corporate profits over patient safety\u201d.<\/p>\n DOJ civil division assistant attorney General Brett A. Shumate said the settlement \u201crequires CVS to implement additional safeguards to ensure that prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances are dispensed only when medically appropriate\u201d.<\/p>\n He said the \u201cremedial measures\u201d will provide \u201ccritical protections for patients and federal healthcare programs\u201d, and the DOJ will continue to \u201ctake steps to prevent the unlawful dispensing of opioids\u201d.<\/p>\n Read more: WBA sued for pharmacist pressure to dispense \u2018millions of unlawful scripts\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n In addition to the monetary settlement, CVS has entered into an agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that requires the chain to \u201cestablish a hotline\u201d for employees and the public to report \u201csuspected illegal dispensing of controlled substances\u201d.<\/p>\n The DOJ said CVS must also \u201cproactively monitor the dispensing patterns of its pharmacies to identify and address potentially illegal dispensing\u201d and introduce a \u201cprocess to evaluate prescribers suspected of illegal prescribing\u201d.<\/p>\n Read more: UK vs US pharmacy: \u201cWelcome to America!\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n DEA assistant administrator Cheri Oz said the settlement holds CVS \u201caccountable for dispensing unlawful prescriptions and endangering the public\u201d.<\/p>\n CVS told C+D it is \u201cpleased to move forward\u201d and \u201cput this litigation behind us\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe strongly disagree with the claims made in this case, and our settlement with the DOJ admits no wrongdoing,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n \u201cHeld accountable\u201d<\/p>\n The 2024 DOJ lawsuit<\/a> alleged that CVS dispensed \u201cdangerous and excessive\u201d quantities of opioids, filled in opioid prescriptions \u201ctoo early\u201d and dispensed \u201ctrinity\u201d prescriptions that included a \u201cdangerous and abused\u201d combination of an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant.<\/p>\n The DOJ said CVS pharmacists filled controlled substance prescriptions from \u201cpill mill\u201d prescribers who issued large numbers of prescriptions \u201cwithout any medical purpose\u201d, and did nothing about them \u201cdespite clear red flags\u201d that they were illegitimate.<\/p>\n The lawsuit claimed that \u201ccorporate-mandated performance metrics, incentive compensation and staffing policies\u201d saw CVS prioritise \u201ccorporate profits over patient safety\u201d, adding that the chain \u201cset staffing levels far too low for pharmacists to both meet their performance metrics and comply with their legal obligations\u201d.<\/p>\n